BYRON CENTER, Mich. (WZZM)- Fire swept through a Byron Center home friday while the the family was away for the Thanksgiving holiday. The couple, Ron and Anne Jansen, are previous winners of WZZM 13's "Take Five and Company's" home makeover contest. They got the call no one wants to get while visiting family in Iowa.
"Our next door neighbor Mary Jo called Anne's phone while we were out to dinner and said the fire department just showed up and we really didn't know much more than that then. When we first got the call we didn't know whether the entire house was gone or not," said Ron.
After a 12 hour drive they got to see the extent of the damage. Despite the devastation they came home to the Jansens say they still have a lot to be thankful for.
"Ron really kept it in perspective and said every thing we love and need is right here with us. You know that is what is important. The unknown was the hardest part. Not knowing exactly what damage was actually done to the home and what pieces we were going to pick up. And knowing everything we had was in that minivan with us. That was tough you know, said Anne Jansen.
The fire likely started in the basement which sustained the most damage. The walls and most of the interior is charred from the blaze. The fire then shot up the laundry chute to the upstairs where there is mostly smoke and water damage.
Anne, pointing to a hanger with a tattered piece of unrecognizable cloth dangling said, "that is what's left of my husband's clothes. He really has nothing."
The couple, now parents of two boys, remembers coming home to a more pleasant surprise 3 years ago after winning the home makeover contest. Anne saw the home before Ron, who returned from Iraq shortly after.
"That was such a blessing to us and just such a difficult time with him being gone and what he was going through and what I was going through. Such a blessing and a distraction, too and to have him come home to that," she said.
Ron says they will have their hands full with another makeover as they attempt to clean and repair the damage from the fire. And even though they've lost so much, they feel blessed for what they still have.
"We can always get more stuff so we aren't worried about that," he said.
However, while fighting the blaze, one fireman noticed something he thought was important enough to save. A medal of valor hanging on the wall along side many of Ron's other awards. A memento the former Marine was reluctant to talk about.
"I know which one they're talking about. He's very modest," said Anne. "It was an award given to him because of some actions he took under some very difficult circumstances and made quite a big difference for the guys he was involved with and the Fallujah area as a whole. They really took notice of his performance there. He even had plaques up there for NCO 2 quarters out of 4 over there in Iraq. They have a lot of sentimental value and that means so much that they were able to get some of that out."
The Jansens are staying with family until they can find a temporary place to live while their home is repaired. They say it is going to take at least three to four months before their house is livable again.
By Angela CunninghamIn your voice
